Ten years ago, at which point we had been living in Japan for seven months, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake shook the country for six minutes, and in horror we watched the coverage of the subsequent tsunami that swept in to devastate a total area of 217 square miles. Over 20,000 people were lost that day. In a country that is less than 1% Christian, the implication of that statistic is heart-wrenching, and I felt it in my soul. I couldn’t stop wondering if the next time each of those 20,000 people come to consciousness, they’ll wonder who this Person is in front of them, and why they don’t know Him. I…
-
-
Boston’s Kindergarten Graduation
Today, Boston graduated from kindergarten! While his kindergarten career didn’t look at all like we had hoped it would look, we are so thankful for the almost-three months he has been able to spend getting acquainted and comfortable with the Japanese culture. Kindergarten teachers are something special, and especially at a Christian kindergarten, we knew he was in good hands as he embarked on this new adventure without us by his side. One special aspect of the Christian kindergartens in Japan is that they have a resident-minister of sorts who comes once a week to hold a worship service with all of the kids. Today, he delivered a short message…
-
Free from Quarantine!
Tomorrow we are free from quarantine, and we give thanks for God’s grace during these last two weeks! We give thanks that our jet lag recovery was surprisingly quick. I woke up on Day 4 and knew I had gotten over the biggest hill of it. The kids truly didn’t seem affected by it at all. We give thanks that we are in a house! In His wisdom, He used our delay to take the apartment we thought was ideal from our hands, and replaced it with an actually perfect house. I can’t imagine quarantining our (reasonably normal) family of five in an apartment, no matter how ideal. The blessings…
-
Nine Ways To Pray For Our Mission
Prayer is one of the most important disciplines God’s people can engage in. Jesus prayed and fasted regularly (Luke 4:1ff, 5:16, 6:12), and taught us to be people of prayer (Matt. 5:5ff; 26:41). We are also told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and to be “constant in prayer” (Rom. 12:12). Prayer really does matter to God, and it impacts the outcomes of events in the world. We believe this, and that is why our family has been praying frequently about our upcoming work in Japan. However, we both want and need others to be in prayer with us. We believe God listens to his people, and that even…
-
Sowing With Tears, Reaping With Joy
Over the course of this year, the importance of prayer has become ever more apparent to me. I think it’s safe to say that I have prayed more this year than I have ever prayed in my life. Of course, I still have plenty of room to grow in this spiritual discipline, but I have learned to lean on God in prayer throughout this year like never before. I am thankful for the challenges that have led me to that deeper relationship with him. Part of what has helped me focus in prayer this year has been reading through a daily devotional book on the Psalms by Tim Keller called…
-
Seven Things To Pray For
Our family believes in prayer – we believe God hears and cares and answers. This is especially relevant when it comes to work for the kingdom. God has made promises to us related to prayer and we would be foolish not to avail ourselves of those promises! Not only do we believe these things, but we also believe that prayer is not intended to be a solitary endeavor. Rather, prayer is something that we do with and for each other (e.g. Rom. 15:30; 2 Thess. 3:1). So, while we are certainly in continual prayer about our upcoming work, we desire (indeed we need) for others to be in prayer for…
-
Rainbows And Promises
How many rainbows do you see each year? I think it’s safe to say I’ve gone whole years without seeing one, or at least without seeing a colorful one that stood out. However, within the past few months I’ve seen at least four, all of which were very colorful and memorable! I’ve seen several more earlier this year as well. I am thankful for this seemingly small grace. It’s been a tough year for our family in a number of ways. God has been pruning us. Sometimes during those times of pruning I need a reminder of God’s promises, and those rainbows have been a vivid reminder. We normally think…
-
A Prayer For The Reiwa Era
One week from now, the emperor of Japan, Emperor Akihito, will officially abdicate and the new emperor, soon-to-be Emperor Naruhito, will take his place. Much like England’s royal family, the emperor of Japan has no legal authority in the country, but that does not mean the status is unimportant. The change of the emperor is a major event in the nation’s life, marking not only the literal end of an era, but also an important change to the nation’s calendar. While Japan uses the Western year system (e.g. 2019), it also uses its own system based upon the year of the Emperor’s reign. The current era is called Heisei, and…
